Die Halbtrockenrasen im Raum Questenberg (Südharz) in Beziehung zu ihrer Nutzungsgeschichte

Abstract

JÄGER, C.; MAHN, E.- G.: The semi-dry grasslands near Questenberg (Southern Harz) in relation to their land use history.- Hercynia N.F. 34 (2001): 213-235. Depending on the particular geological and geomorphological conditions of the gypsum karst around Questenberg the Iandscape is determined by valleys with dry, more or less steep slopes forming a natural basis for extensive grazing. Especially the manors kept large sheep flocks since about the middle of the 17th until the middle of the 191 h century. The grazing of these flocks caused the development of extended xerothermic grasslands (mostly semi-dry grasslands). Changes in agriculture resulted increasingly since the beginning of the 20th century in abandoning or reducing the intensity of grazing effecting strong changes within the vegetation structure. In extended grassland areas the invasion of shrubs and trees began. The spectrum of semi-dry grasslands shifted from dryer to fresher vegetation units. This development is attributed primarily to abandonment of grazing on the driest sites as by colonizing of former fields by semi-dry grassland species. Today just a few xerothermic grasslands are only very extensively grazed. The funds needed to maintain grazing should be applied in this way that the preservation of valuable semi-dry grassland could be realized on selected sites under long-term conditions.